Sitting in a wooden carriage daintily rolling down a road was a young man. His eyes, a velvety red, lacked focus as they stared into a strange flame that sprouted at the tip of his right index finger. It wasn't nearly as bright as a regular flame, barely reflecting any light off the worn metal of his lightly armored form. Its core, a shadowy black, sat in the midst of a flowing indigo. His battle worn short sword sat in its sheathe on the bench next to him.
The young man had found himself in this state of contemplation more often as of recent times. He'd stare into this fire of his own creation while thinking of what could have been done, or how it could have been done better. The flame had no voice, nor thoughts, but it still helped. Even without speaking aloud, he felt the flame could somehow understand him. Or, perhaps, that was just what he wanted to believe.
'I get it. Trust me, I do. I wasn't just useless, I was a liability. If Reiya and Yorrin didn't reach me in time...'
The young man sighed as he caught himself mid thought. The flame flickered before vanishing. He ran that same hand through his short, spikey, dark indigo hair held up at the back in a ponytail.
'I mean, they're supposed to be Heroes. Its only natural they'll have to fight stronger an' stronger monsters.'
He leaned his head back, looking up at the pale leather covering the top of the carriage. Sunlight tried to make its way through, but it only got so far. He had to keep himself from falling as the carriage hit a bump in the road, likely a tree root.
He moved over and peeked out the back of the carriage curiously. With the sun nearly reaching its peak in the sky, and with the growling of his stomach, it had been a few hours already since he departed.
He reached into a pocket of his dark brown trousers to make sure his coin bag was still there. He'd be in deep trouble if he lost all that money his squad mates left him.
'At least they payed for the ride back...'
He frowned as he leaned back in his spot as much as he could. His back had grown a bit stiff from being on the road for so long, but he supposed he could hold it for a little longer.
He thought back to earlier in the morning, all the way in one of the capitol's outskirt towns, Rauna. He remembered the warm embraces and teary goodbyes from his best friends. They may be going their separate ways, but he was sure not to forget them. And he knew all too well they felt the same.
Just as a last check, the young man formed a single thought.
'System.'
Before him appeared a blue screen that floated in the air. He tapped on a tab listed as "Guild Status" and scrolled down a bit.
[Ongoing Quests: 0
Completed Quests (solo): 33
Completed Quests (squad): 481
Failed Quests (solo): 8
Failed Quests (squad): 17
Squad Allegiance: Dire Pack (former)]
Sure enough, he was no longer a part of the Dire Pack, rumored to be the next Hero Squad to grace the world. With another thought, he made the screen vanish just as quickly as it appeared. He frowned deeply, his hopes that it was all just a prank, or something along the lines, being crushed.
'Man, when Ari finds out about this...'
He could already imagine his sister's outrage. First would come the excitement at seeing her brother return home. Next would be the confusion at him being alone. Lastly, she'd be storming up to the Alagon Guild Hall demanding answers from poor Ms. Mila.
He looked down at his hands as he could already see how things would play out. He just hoped he could get some words out before any chaos unfolds.
X
The carriage came to a halt at the gate to a walled in city. Two guards stood at the gate, wearing standard Alagon Guard armor. One guard, a man with a short beard and wrinkles beginning to form from age, walked over to the driver.
While that was happening, the young man in the back decided it was time to get out. He'd been stuck with his own thoughts and the squeaky wooden wheels of his transportation for too long. The moment he did, the guard checking the driver's signed documents raised his eyebrows in recognition. With a smile, he handed the paperwork back to the carriage driver and walked over to the young man who was stretching his body after the long ride.
"A little soon for you to be back, kid."
The young man turned around when he heard the voice. The guard took off his helmet and smiled at his apparent acquaintance warmly.
"Uncle Kade!"
The young man instantly forgot what he was doing, running up and tackling the guard, Kade, into a hug. The older man laughed a bit as he returned the embrace.
"Go easy on me. I may be in armor, but I'm not gettin' any younger."
Taking a step back and getting a good look at the man, he could see a few strands of white joining the rest of his dark brown hair.
"Oh, come on, ya' still look like you could go toe to toe with a dragon if you wanted."
Kade laughed while ruffling the young man's hair.
"S'that right? Glad to hear I'm one of those fine wine types."
The young man laughed as well before trying to fix his hair.
"So, what brings you back home, Sier?"
The young man's, Sier's, smile faded slightly into a melancholic grin.
"It's, uh... I-It's complicated."
Kade raised an eyebrow as he inspected the young man.
"Nothin' all that happy, if I had to guess."
Sier nodded begrudgingly.
"Aye."
Kade decided not to pressure him about it.
"Well, you can tell me all about it whenever you're ready. Got your card?"
Sier nodded and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a small card given to every Guild member. He gave it to the older man who took a second to inspect it.
"Mm. Gotta get it renewed while you're here."
Sier nodded while scratching the back of his head. Kade handed the card back to the young man and motioned behind him.
"Come on, let's go to the Hall."
Sier's eyebrows furrowed.
"Aren't you on duty?"
Kade smiled as he turned and began walking into the city.
"Caught me at a good time. Lunch break. Callum can manage for a while."
"Callum?"
Kade gestured to the young guard guiding the horse drawn carriage Sier arrived on.
"Entered a few months back. He's a good lad, but he can be a bit up tight at times."
Sier sent a small wave to the young guard, who merely nodded back. He looked back to the path before starting to look around. His gaze traced familiar fields and buildings as he walked. The city hadn't changed much since he left, if at all.
Alagon was quite a unique place among settlements. Built at the base of a mountain with a half circle wall stretching higher than even some of the surrounding pines, it was quite a sight. At the lowest level was the farmlands and the families who run them. The main road leads up a little ways with large stone buildings forming smaller streets and alleys. It continues on for a while until the incline becomes more steep, in which the road becomes a winding path up to the top of the mountain. At the top lies Alagon City's famed hot springs. The water of the springs cools as it flows down the mountain, nourishing the farmlands below.
It may not be the capitol, but Alagon was just as beautiful, in Sier's opinion. However, it was only after he left that he realized said beauty.
Luckily, the walk to the Guild Hall wasn't as long as Sier thought it would be. Or, maybe, his feel for time had been dulled from the carriage ride.
A few quick stops were made along the way to catch up with past friends and those acquainted. Sier was welcomed back by old faces, and warm smiles that he happily returned. Years of travel haven't ridden his memory of those he cherished, which he was grateful for.
Sier and Kade continued on until they reached the double pine doors of the Alagon Guild Hall. The older man opened the door, following his young charge inside. The Guild Hall was quite grand, even if Alagon was on the smaller side compared to other cities. The doors lead to the lobby, where the receptionists worked hard behind the counters. Halls at either end of the room opened up to more facilities. The left hall led to a functioning tavern and inn, serving as a resting place for members of the Guild. Down the right hall was the library and the records room. A door at the end of the hall opened up into training grounds for Guild members to practice.
Sier couldn't help but look around. The place was just as he remembered it to be. The decorative dark oak floor contrasted well with the pale pine wood pillars.
Kade patted the young man on the back before beginning to head off.
"I'm gonna go get somethin' to eat. Find me when you're done?"
Sier nodded to the older man.
"Of course. Save me a seat, would ya'?"
Kade smiled and nodded as he walked away. Sier continued over to the reception desk, still gazing at the place where his journey first began.
"Ah, my apologies for the wait. Business can get quite hectic at noon, so..."
A woman came out from a room behind the desk. She was a little shorter than Sier with short brown hair in a bobcut. She wore a puffy, white blouse with a dark brown corset. Her knee-length skirt was the same color as her blouse with her heels being a dark green. A pair of half-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of her nose. Her light green eyes lit up when she saw who was standing before her.
"My... Is that really you, Sier?"
The young man in question smiled at the woman and nodded.
"Good to see ya', too, Mila."
Her pointy ears wiggled as a smile appeared on her lips.
"It really has been a long time, hasn't it? You've grown quite a bit since you left."
The comment nearly made Sier's smile break, but he held it.
"You think so? Still got a bit more growin' to do 'fore I get as tall as Uncle Kade."
Mila nodded with a soft chuckle.
"Maybe so. You have no idea how many girls he had to brush off back when he was younger. Careful, Sier. Do any more growing and you might end up in the same boat."
Sier chuckled, not minding the faint blush on his cheeks.
"So, what can I do for you, love? Here on business? Or did you come back for a visit?"
The young man scratched the back of his head.
"Business, for now. Card needs a renewal."
Mila's smile faded a bit as she nodded, taking the card that Sier handed her.
"Hm. And you came back home, alone, just for that?"
He should have figured the woman would catch on quick. For a long living Wood Elf, she'd have more than enough experience to be able to tell something was up.
Sier frowned as he leaned on the counter.
"Got kicked out. Yorrin and the rest arranged my ride back."
Mila's eyebrows furrowed in concern as she pulled out a stamp from a shelf under the desk. She gently pressed it onto a spot on the card. What appeared was the symbol of the guild, a mighty Cloud Hawk with its wings spread wide, its outline glowing a mystical blue that faded soon after.
"Don't blame them. They had every reason to do it."
Sier's explanation didn't exactly convince the woman, though.
"Sier, they are your friends, are they not? You didn't have a fight, did you?"
Sier sighed as he was handed back his card.
"Nothin' like that, no. Just... Quests were gettin' harder. I wasn't able to keep up. They didn't wanna say it, but I was becomin' a liability out in the field."
Mila gently reached for Sier's wrist with a light gasp.
"Don't say that. I'm sure they never would've even had the thought."
The young man shrugged.
"I would've been hurt bad in our last quest if Reiya and Yorrin didn't get to me in time. Besides, it was the right call. If they keep havin' to protect me, that'll just leave 'em open. Believe me, I saw it. They can't let themselves get distracted out there."
Mila frowned, trying and failing to look into Sier's eyes.
"... Rest up while you're here. We should have some rooms open at the back."
Sier nodded gratefully to the woman, bidding her a farewell with a hopeful grin. She tried her best to return the gesture, but a hint of worry was still present in her expression. Perhaps he just needed some more time to process it all...
X [System] X
[Name: Sier Kallahan
Race: Human
Age: 19
Guild Ranking: E
Inherited Skill(s): Arcane Everburn, Fire Magic{lvl.1}
Skill(s), Passive: Swordsmanship{lvl.2}, Gathering{lvl.3}, Alchemy{lvl.3}
Skill(s), Active: Quickstep{lvl.2}, Cleanse{lvl.3}
Affinity(s): Casting, Fire Magic, Swordsmanship]
(I will be doing these status window showings every few parts, depending on if there are any developments)